Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Medication side effects fall
under the category of “things most people don’t think about until they have
to.” But make no mistake, all drugs have side effects, even if they are so mild
that you don’t notice them.

When
Side Effects Occur

Side effects can happen at any
time, according
to Kristen Howard, Pharm D. They can occur when you first take a
medicine, with changes in dosage, or if you stop taking the medicine suddenly
or too soon. If you begin to take other prescriptions or over-the-counter
drugs, interactions among the medicines may cause side effects as well.

Types
of Side Effects

The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) is responsible for protecting the public
health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary
drugs, biological products, and medical devices. In short, understanding side
effects is their business.

Some of the most common side
effects include upset stomach, dry mouth, and drowsiness. These are relatively
easy to manage, particularly if the patient is aware that they may happen. Your
pharmacist may recommend taking a medication only before bed (for drowsiness)
or with meals (to avoid stomach upset). These common side effects are almost
always easy to find on the prescription label, or packaging, if the drug is
available over-the-counter.

The
FDA
defines a side effect as “serious” if it is life-threatening; results in
hospitalization, disability, or permanent damage; or if exposure prior to
conception or during pregnancy could cause a birth defect. The good news is
that by the time a medication is dispensed to you, it has been studied at
length. Any risk for a serious side effect has been assessed and must be
disclosed to you so that you can make an educated decision about the drug you
are about to take.

How
to Manage Side Effects

If you think you may be
experiencing a side effect of your medication, speak up! Your doctor or
pharmacist will be able to help you understand your options for managing your
symptoms – whether that means adjusting your dose, how you take the medication,
or possibly trying another alternative treatment. And remember, you are not
being a “difficult customer” by speaking up! Most side effects are very common
and it is common for different patients to have different reactions to the same
medication. Doctors and pharmacists want to help you find the treatment that
works best for you.

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Taking
medication for a mental health issue is very common. Researchers from the Institute
of Safe Medication Practices found that more than 40 million U.S. adults
reported filling one or more mental health prescriptions in 2013, the most
recent year of collected information. In fact, data from the 2014 National
Survey on Drug Use and Health
show that about 18 percent of U.S. adults experienced some form of mental
illness in the past year. Taking a prescription medication to treat a chronic
condition, like a mental health condition, requires more consideration than
taking a drug for an acute condition, like an antibiotic for a sinus infection
(though all drugs need to be used and
stored with care). Here are three keys to taking your medication responsibly:

1. Understand your timeline
and treatment plan

When
your doctor prescribes a new medication for you, it is important to understand
the full treatment timeline. Your treatment timeline includes:

·When
you should start taking the medication, (e.g. morning or evening, when your
current prescription is complete, at the start of a new week, with or without
meals, etc.)

·When
you can expect to see an impact, (e.g. will the drug will be effective immediately
or will it take several weeks before you see a change in your symptoms)

·When
or if side effects may appear and what side effects you may expect

·When
or if you should call your doctor regarding specific side effects

Your
treatment also includes other therapies that are necessary to treat your
illness, such as counseling, individual or group therapy, or laboratory
monitoring. Drugs are only a part of a comprehensive treatment plan for mental
illness.

2. Communicate
clearly

Although
today’s medical record technologies are becoming increasingly comprehensive,
you should never assume that the doctor, nurse, or pharmacist you are speaking
with has a full understanding of your health. Clear, open communication is
critical to avoid dangerous drug interactions or possible side effects that may
be unique to your situation.

It
is important to always provide your doctor and your pharmacist with a complete
list of all the medications you are taking, including prescription medications,
over-the-counter drugs (including pain pills and nutraceuticals), as well as alcohol
and recreational drugs. All can potentially create serious drug interactions
with mental health therapies. In that conversation, make sure to include how
much you take and how often.

Always
speak up if you have any questions about when or how to take a particular
medication and be sure to bring up any surprising side effects. It can be
helpful to keep a small notebook or file of all of your prescriptions and notes
from past appointments, so that the information is safely compiled in one location.
Some patients like to store this information on their smart phone so that they
always have it with them. The FamilyWize website has a Medicine
Cabinet feature that
may be of help.

3. Store safely

Everyone
who takes a prescription medication for any reason should practice safe storage
and disposal habits to lower the risk of dosing errors, accidental poisoning,
and abuse. Luckily, if you are already
following the first two keys to responsible drug use, storing your drugs safely
can be pretty straightforward.

First,
follow all instructions from your pharmacist for your specific medication. Some
medications need to be kept in the refrigerator, or need to be taken at a
specific time of day, etc. Those instructions are to keep you safe and to
ensure that the treatment is as effective as possible. In general, store
medications in a cool, dry place. Bathroom medicine cabinets are not always the
ideal storage spot. Humidity from showers can sometimes adversely affect the
stability of a medication.

Second,
keep all drugs up and away from little hands, with the child safety cap tightly
closed at all times. Only take your medication in a well-lit room (e.g. not in
a dark bathroom in the middle of the night), and keep all drugs in their
original containers. In the rare situation that a child does accidently take your
medication, please call 911 immediately.

We
are lucky to live in a world where there are prescription medications that can
help us to manage mental health conditions. Working with your doctor and
pharmacist to take your prescriptions responsibly is an essential step towards
becoming your best self.

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Summer utility bills can
sting. Between using extra water to keep your yard green and running the air
conditioner to stay cool, it can feel like you have to choose between saving
money and enjoying your summer. That doesn’t have to be true – particularly
when it comes to your electric bill!

Here are three proven ways to
save money on your electric bill this month:

1. Avoid “vampires”

As explained by the U.S. Department of Energy, most homes have multiple TVs and computers, which
are all connected to various devices, such as DVD players, game consoles,
external monitors, and printers. Believe it or not, the energy consumed by all
these gadgets in our homes can add up to nearly 10 percent of a household's
monthly electric bill! Many people forget to turn off their devices when they
aren't using them, and many electronics continue to draw power even after
they've been turned off, wasting energy in the form of "vampire
loads."

To avoid wasting energy on
devices that you aren’t actively using, try investing in a few advanced power strips. There are many different products on the market –
some even have timers or activity sensors. Check
out this infographic to learn more.

2. Replace old thermostats

If you aren’t using a
programmable thermostat, switching to one may make a demonstrable difference in
your electric bill. We all know that adjusting your thermostat just a few degrees
can improve your energy use. Programmable thermostats allow you to make those
slight adjustments automatically, based on your household needs, to ensure you
save money.

Overwhelmed when you visit
the light bulb aisle at your local home improvement store? We are too! But the
good news is that all of those new light bulb options exist to help save you
money. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, an average household dedicates about five percent of
its energy budget to lighting. Switching to energy-efficient lighting is one of
the fastest ways to cut your energy bills. By replacing your home's five most
frequently used light fixtures or bulbs with models that have earned the ENERGY
STAR, you can save $75 each year.

After you are done lowering
your energy bill, don’t forget that you can lower your pharmacy bill as well.
Regardless of your insurance situation, the Free
FamilyWize Prescription Discount Card
can help you to spend less money on your family’s prescription drugs. Download
the free app today.

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

This post is part of
our “Ask an Expert” blog series. In this post, Ken Majkowski, Pharm.D and Chief
Pharmacy Officer at FamilyWize, identifies several medications that should
be used with care by patients with heart failure. Ken brings more than 40 years
of healthcare experience to the FamilyWize team, including 14 years of clinical
pharmacy experience in retail, hospital and home care. Read his full bio, here.

It is important to note, however, that not all medications
are safe for those with cardiovascular diseases. Some commonly used drugs have
specifically been identified as potentially dangerous for those with an
existing heart condition.

Anesthesia
Medications

We know that most anesthetics interfere with cardiovascular
performance. While generally very safe for the average person, anesthesia for
surgical procedures can be dangerous for patients with heart failure. A recent study
observed a 63 percent increased risk of operative mortality and a 51 percent
greater risk of being readmitted to the hospital among patients with heart
failure compared with patients without heart failure or coronary artery
disease. It is critical for all patients to have a comprehensive discussion about
their health with their anesthesiologist before going under anesthesia, no
matter how routine the procedure.

Pain Medications

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), such as
ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), naproxen (Aleve, Naproxen), and cyclogenase-2
inhibitors (celecoxib, Celebrex) are used very widely in the United States and
generally considered to be very safe. Unfortunately, they are less safe for
people who already have cardiovascular disease.

NSAIDs can cause the body to retain sodium. Excess sodium
causes the body to retain more fluid and forces your heart to work harder. This
can be a major problem for people with heart failure, making it critical for
heart patients to speak with a doctor before taking NSAIDs for any length of
time. Additionally, chronic or heavy use of NSAIDs can also cause chronic
kidney disease, another reason to monitor their use.

Diabetes Medications

There are a handful of medications for the treatment of
diabetes that should either be avoided or carefully monitored by anyone with
concern for their heart health. Specifically, Avandia (rosiglitazone) and Actos
(pioglitazone) have both been identified by the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) as potentially increasing the risk of heart failure, and their use is limited
to people whose diabetes is not well controlled by other medications. Both
drugs can cause fluid retention, similar to NSAIDs, which causes stress on the
heart.

If you have a cardiovascular disease, please be sure to
discuss each and every medication you use with your doctor, including
over-the-counter medications or alternative medications. These conversations
are important and can help to keep you safe.

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Whether you’re worried about a big meeting or
being able to get prescription savings on your
medications, stress is ever present in our lives; but it doesn’t have to run
our lives. Here are three actionable ways to soothe away your stress so you can
relax.

STOP

In a stressful moment, try using the STOP method recommended by
Diana Winston, director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research
Center and co-author of Fully Present: The Science, Art and Practice of Mindfulness. STOP stands for Slow into the moment, Take a breath, and Observe
what’s happening before you proceed. Our bodies need to react to stress for
survival. If a hungry tiger decides to chase you, you want your body to move
quickly, not sit down and meditate. The problem arises when your body can’t
tell the difference between a hungry tiger and a challenging meeting at work.
The STOP method provides you with a way to slow down, mindfully identify what
is happening, and then to proceed with a little more clarity and calmness.

Reframe the Situation

The experts at Psychology Today recommend
using reframing as a technique to remove negativity from challenging
situations. It is natural to focus on the most challenging or frustrating
aspect of a situation, even though that is not the whole picture. Yes, it is a
bummer that John quit and now your team will be one person short. But how else
can you think about the situation? Once John leaves, maybe that gives you the
opportunity to promote someone else who really deserves it. Or maybe you’ll
have the opportunity to hire someone who speaks Spanish or who has some other
useful skill to improve your team overall. By focusing on the positive
opportunities and not just the negative challenges, you can reframe your
thoughts about the situation and feel less stress.

Practice Gratitude

Like reframing,
regularly practicing gratitude teaches your brain to focus on positive, calmer
thoughts, rather than playing negative thoughts on repeat. In her article, “Overcome Stress by Saying Thanks,” Susanna M. Halonen recommends asking yourself a series of questions
to gain perspective and cultivate gratitude in a stressful situation:

●What lessons is this experience teaching me?

●Can I find ways to be thankful for what’s
happening to me now even though I was not thankful at the time it started
happening?

●What ability is the experience drawing out of me
that is surprising me?

So the next time stress threatens your sunny
day, STOP, reframe it, and be thankful.

How do you keep your stress in check? Share your
tips on our Facebook page and help
others soothe their stress. For more advice for living a healthier lifestyle, follow
the FamilyWize blog; and visit our website to download the best discount Rx card for
free.

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

We all know that we should comparison shop for
things like flights, cars, and even baby diapers. But there is one thing that
we should ALWAYS comparison shop for…even though most people never do.

Prescription medications.

Prescription Drugs Are Expensive

Drug prices rose an average of
nearly ten percent over the 12-month period ending in May 2016 – a time when
the overall inflation rate was just one percent in the U.S.

A report from data firm IMS
Health estimates patients, insurers, government programs, and other payers
spent a combined $309.5 billion in 2015 on prescriptions. The IMS Institute for
Healthcare Informatics predicts spending will reach $370 billion to $400
billion in 2020.

There is a
misconception among many consumers that drug prices “are what they are” and
there is little consumers can do to combat them. That isn’t necessarily true.
From comparing prices at different pharmacies to using a free prescription savings card program, there are definitely effective ways to lower your family’s prescription
drug costs.

How to Comparison Shop for Prescription Drugs

It used to be that comparison shopping for
prescription medications required a lot of leg work – identifying local
pharmacies and then making multiple phone calls to inquire about the prices of
the drugs you need. The FamilyWize website takes away all of that hassle.

Want to give it a try? Visit FamilyWize.org and start a new search or create your own account. Have questions about
how to use the Medicine Cabinet or thoughts on how we can improve it? Please
email us at support@familywize.org. We love to
hear from you!

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

This post is part of our “Ask an Expert” blog series. In this post, Ken
Majkowski, Pharm.D and Chief Pharmacy Officer at FamilyWize, addresses the rights all patients have when
they visit the pharmacy. Ken brings more than 40 years of healthcare experience
to the FamilyWize team, including 14 years of clinical pharmacy experience in
retail, hospital, and home care. Read his full bio, here.

There are many articles and pamphlets available
that describe what your rights are as a patient at a doctor’s office. But are
you aware of your rights at your local pharmacy?

Specifically, there are five patient rights that
I encourage everyone to be aware of before they fill a prescription for any
member of their family.

Patient Rights at the Pharmacy

1. Right to choose your pharmacy

First and foremost, you have the right to choose
which pharmacy you go to for your prescription needs. Too many patients default
to the pharmacy closest to their home or doctor’s office, without researching the
prices of their medications or considering other
variables like added services (e.g. delivery options or in-store clinics). You
have the right to choose the pharmacy that will best serve your family’s needs.

2.Right to access a pharmacist for questions and counseling

You have the right to ask to speak with the
pharmacist. Sometimes the person who hands you your prescription is a pharmacy
technician, not a licensed pharmacist. He or she should offer you access to the
on-duty pharmacist if you have any questions about your prescription, but even
if they do not, you always have the right to ask. You are not “bothering” the
pharmacist and the pharmacy technician will not be insulted.

3.Right to privacy of both conversation and records

Thanks to HIPAA, patient privacy has become the
norm. Patients should always expect their personal information and medical
records to be kept strictly confidential. But if a pharmacist or pharmacy
technician initiates a conversation with you about your medication, you always
have the right to request a more private location. Today, most pharmacies have
separate counters, privacy rooms, or partitioned areas available for that
purpose.

4.Right to choose your method of payment

Did you know that you don’t have to use your
health insurance to purchase a prescription, even if you have coverage? At the
pharmacy counter, you always have the right to choose if you would like to
apply your insurance benefits or pay cash. Depending on your coverage, the
pharmacist may be able to help you understand what your most cost-effective
option might be. For example, some patients find that they save more money by
paying cash and utilizing the free Rx prescription discount card from FamilyWize than by using other coverage or discount options,
especially for patients with a High Deductible Health Plan.

5.Right to file a grievance
If you are unhappy with the service you have received for any reason, you have
the right to file a grievance or complaint. To find your pharmacy’s protocols,
please ask at your pharmacy or search your pharmacy’s website for additional
details.

Knowing your patient rights and utilizing them
will enable you to become a better-informed participant in your own healthcare
and wellbeing. And the next time you refill your prescription at the pharmacy,
remember to use your free pharmacy discount card from FamilyWize.

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

The New York
Times recently reported that drug overdose deaths in
2016 most likely exceeded 59,000, the largest annual jump ever recorded in the
United States. The article attributes this terrifying statistic to an
escalating public health crisis: opioid addiction, now made more deadly by an
influx of fentanyl and similar drugs. Drug overdoses are now the leading cause
of death among Americans under 50.

How can you keep your loved ones safe? Here are
three facts about the opioid crisis that families need to know:

1. In many cases, illegal heroin and fentanyl use begins with the abuse
of legally prescribed painkillers. As described in The Economist, opioids can be divided into three broad groups. First, are legitimate
painkillers, such as OxyContin, which is FDA-approved and even eligible for prescription savings. Heavily prescribed since the 1990s, some of these pills were abused by
people who defeated their slow-release mechanisms by crushing and then snorting
or injecting them. The second group consists of powerful synthetic opioids, such
as fentanyl and carfentanil. These have legitimate medical uses, but are often
manufactured illegally and smuggled into America. The third opioid is heroin,
derived from opium poppies, almost all of it illegally.

Too often, abuse begins innocently enough – a
middle-aged woman with chronic back pain begins regularly using legally
prescribed opioid pain medication. She may find that over time, she needs more
and more to feel better. Then when her prescription runs out, she discovers
that she can’t get through the day without it and turns to illegal options,
like fentanyl or heroin.

Sadly, it is just as likely that her teenage son
may get his hands on her prescribed medication, taking “just a few pills for a
party.” His addiction will then often follow the same path, until his life is
consumed by his need for the drugs.

2. The opioid epidemic is not an urban problem or a “bad people”
problem.The Economist also reports that deaths
are highest in the Midwest and Northeast, among middle-aged men, and among
Caucasians. Some of the worst-affected counties are rural. As Bruce Y.
Lee, a Forbes.com contributor put it,
“Science will help everyone understand that opioid addiction
is not ‘bad people doing bad things.’... It's not as if more and more
people around the country since the '90s have decided to turn bad. The opioid
epidemic is a systems problem.” Because the danger is the drug itself and how
it affects the brain, it is critical for all families to work to prevent drug
addiction.

3. If you face chronic pain, there are alternatives to opioids. Before you accept a prescription for any pain medication, ask about
what kind it is and what your options are. Short-term use of opioids can be
safe, but if you have school-age children in the house or expect to be taking
your medication for an extended period of time, it is worth asking about
addiction risk and other alternatives.

Unfortunately, sometimes opioid alternatives are
not covered by some health insurances. That is where FamilyWize can help. Our Free Rx Prescription Discount Card enables everyone, both insured and uninsured, to save on their
prescription medications, with average savings of around 40 percent. Learn more
at FamilyWize.org.

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

The more things change, the more things stay the
same. Although you’re taking your medications daily (and using the best Rx discount card for
additional savings), exercise is important, too. While there will always be a
trendy new workout to try, good-old walking will always be a safe, effective
standby exercise for virtually every body type in every stage of life.

Need to be reminded why walking is so great for
you?

Here are seven benefits of walking for exercise:

1.Walking can be a form of meditation –
Studies have found that a 20-minute walk can calm your overactive brain and
restore your attention.

2.Walking can protect your memory – Researchers
following up on 300 older adults after 13 years found that those who had walked
six to nine miles a week lowered their risk of memory problems by 50 percent.

3.Walking is also good for brain function in general – Researchers found that adults who walked for 40 minutes three times a
week slowed age-related declines in brain function and improved their
performance on cognitive tasks.

7.Walking is good for your blood sugar levels – The Whitaker Wellness Institute
encourages its patients to take a 10-minute walk after meals to help clear
glucose out of the bloodstream.

And best of all, walking is FREE! No gym
memberships or fancy equipment required. Taking a short walk every day
(provided your doctor hasn’t advised against it) is a great way to begin an
exercise habit. Interested in giving it a try? Start here for some easy
guidelines from the Mayo Clinic.